Soul Hall Elder

"Y-You—who are you? How dare you interfere in Soul Hall affairs?!"

After seeing the newcomer's true face clearly, the Soul Hall members felt an inexplicable pressure and fear rise within their hearts.

"Who?"

"Didn't Hunting Guardian send you a message before he died?"

Hearing their question, Xie Tianxiao's eyes revealed a trace of mockery.

"He's that Dou Zun?!"

"Quick, notify the Elder!"

The two Guardians exchanged glances, their eyes filled with deep wariness. One of them said,

"We thought you would hide, but never expected you to dare show yourself. Good. It seems our mission can be concluded early."

The two Guardians had not expected to encounter Xie Tianxiao as soon as they received the Elder's orders and headed out. They did not know whether to be pleased or worried.

They were pleased because they could immediately complete the task the Elder had given them, but worried because Xie Tianxiao was far too terrifying.

Though they had numbers on their side, they were no match for a Dou Zun. They could only hope the Elder would arrive quickly. Otherwise, they would share the fate of the Guardian Xie Tianxiao had slapped to death earlier.

"No wonder Soul Hall suddenly sent so many people. So they were looking for me."

Listening to that Guardian, Xie Tianxiao came to a realization, then revealed a mocking smile. "Now that you've found me, aren't you going to make a move?"

"Or are you waiting for that so-called Elder to stand up for you?"

A mere Dou Zun was nothing Xie Tianxiao feared. If not for his concern that revealing his Half-Saint strength too early would draw the attention of Soul Hall in the Central Plains, he would have long since slaughtered them all and gone to Soul Hall to test the system's Devouring.

"D-Don't think that just because you're a Dou Zun, you can do whatever you want! Our Soul Hall Elder will arrive any moment. You're dead for sure!"

Seeing Xie Tianxiao's calm expression, the two Soul Hall Guardians' eyelids twitched, and a flicker of astonishment appeared in their eyes. Yet without another word, they retreated several steps.

There was no helping it. The way Xie Tianxiao had killed a Guardian with a single palm strike was simply too shocking. The Soul Hall members still remembered it vividly.

"Scared? Hehe... so even Soul Hall people can be this cowardly."

Xie Tianxiao sneered, sweeping his gaze across the Soul Hall members. "It's only a Soul Branch Hall, yet you can dispatch so many Dou Wangs and even Dou Emperors. What a grand display."

"But has your Elder lost his mind? Does he really think a bunch of trash like you can capture me?"

A trace of scorn flashed through Xie Tianxiao's eyes as he spoke disdainfully.

"Jie jie."

"I merely sent them to investigate your location. Who would have thought you would deliver yourself to my doorstep? This has saved me quite a bit of trouble."

A cold laugh came from the void. Then space trembled, and a man stepped out from within.

He wore black robes, his face was covered in wrinkles, his eyes were narrowed, and his mouth hung slightly open. He looked exactly like an old monster.

"Greetings, Elder!"

At the sight of the man who had emerged, the Soul Hall members all knelt in unison, their eyes filled with reverence as they paid their respects.

The Elder of a Soul Branch Hall could also be called its Hall Master. The position was held by a Dou Zun below the peak of the four-star Dou Zun realm, making him the most powerful figure in the entire branch hall.

Each Elder commanded five Heaven-tier Guardians, ten Earth-tier Guardians, fifteen Human-tier Guardians, and nearly a hundred Soul Envoys.

"Is that so?"

"Then watch carefully."

Xie Tianxiao remained unhurried. He spread his five fingers toward the dozens of Soul Envoys on the ground, then suddenly clenched them inward. Instantly, all the Soul Envoys exploded and died.

Then Xie Tianxiao looked at the blue-robed man standing on the ground with a blank expression and said, "Go. Staying here is an eyesore."

The blue-robed man, who had thought himself doomed, immediately came back to his senses. He bowed and said, "Thank you, my lord, for saving my life. I will remember this kindness forever and never forget it!"

After speaking, the blue-robed man gave Xie Tianxiao a deep look, as though he wanted to etch him permanently into his heart. Then he spread wings of Dou Qi and flew into the distance!

"How dare you!"

Seeing Xie Tianxiao ignore him so completely and even save an ant right before his eyes, the Soul Hall Elder's fury instantly ignited. His gaze hardened, and a vast, majestic aura surged into the sky!

"Go kill that fleeing ant!"

The Soul Hall Elder shouted at the only two remaining Soul Hall Guardians.

Just as the two Guardians accepted the order and flew out—

"Sword Break!"

With a point of the Soul Hall Elder's finger, streaks of soul light shot into the ground.

Countless sword marks appeared across the surface, and innumerable sword lights shot into the heavens like a silver dragon, charging toward Xie Tianxiao!

"Cheap tricks!"

Xie Tianxiao smiled disdainfully and casually waved his hand. A massive palm print condensed out of thin air and met the sword lights head-on.

Then he grabbed at the void with his other hand. Space immediately twisted, and the Soul Hall Guardians who had just flown away were crushed to death within the void!

"Rumble!"

On the ground, a powerful gale raged from the point where the two attacks collided, kicking up endless dust until the area was shrouded in smoke.

The two bursts of soul light collided, triggering a violent explosion.

At the center of the explosion, the smoke dispersed to reveal a massive crater. As the dust gradually settled, a deep pit appeared before everyone's eyes.

The Soul Hall Elder was now kneeling on one knee on the ground, his chest pierced through. Streams of blood continuously flowed from the wound, a horrifying sight to behold.

"Y-You're not a one-star Dou Zun?!"

The Soul Hall Elder stared unwillingly at Xie Tianxiao. He had thought his opponent was merely a newly advanced Dou Zun and that his own strength would be enough to take Xie Tianxiao down.

Yet to his surprise, the sword lights he had unleashed with all his strength had been shattered by a single palm, and even he himself had been severely injured!

He was at the peak of the four-star Dou Zun realm. Even if his opponent were three or four stars above him, it should have been impossible to heavily injure him with one palm strike!

With such strength, his opponent's cultivation had likely reached the peak of the Dou Zun realm!

Xie Tianxiao slowly raised his head and looked at the Soul Hall Elder, snorting coldly. "Hehe... when did I ever admit to being a one-star Dou Zun?"

With his Half-Saint strength, Xie Tianxiao could easily crush the Soul Hall Elder before him to death. But he did not do so, because he still wanted to test how the system's Devouring worked.

"Damn it! With strength close to the peak of the Dou Zun realm, how could you possibly appear in the Northwest Region?!"

Only at this moment did the Elder understand why Xie Tianxiao had not taken him seriously.

With the other man's strength, he was enough to stand on equal footing with a Soul Hall Venerable. As the master of this tiny branch hall, he truly was insignificant.

Although Xie Tianxiao's strength was terrifying, the Soul Hall Elder did not consider the possibility of him being a Saint. That was simply too shocking. With his strength, it was beyond his comprehension—he did not even dare think of it.

"You need not know that."

Xie Tianxiao looked calmly at the Soul Hall Elder before him and continued, "A four-star Dou Zun, yet as the Hall Master of a branch hall, you personally came to capture me. What, does this branch hall not have a Deputy Hall Master?"

Every Soul Branch Hall, aside from a Hall Master, Guardians, and Soul Envoys, also had a Deputy Hall Master. Their strength was merely somewhat weaker than the Hall Master's, and the role was held by an Elder in the one- to three-star Dou Zun realm.